Are you a health care practitioner with patients needing more extensive lifestyle counseling?

Let’s work together - my health coaching can:

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lighten some of your workload while providing patients with more 1:1 support

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improve patients’ lifestyle management, leading to better outcomes for them & their children

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enhance patient's’ overall life satisfaction, and experience of motherhood

Engaged and motivated patients have better health outcomes.

Health coaching is a team-based approach that helps patients gain the knowledge, skills and confidence to become active participants in their care. The old saying, “Give a man a fish, and he eats for a day. Teach a man to fish, and he eats for a lifetime” demonstrates the difference between rescuing a patient and coaching a patient. Health coaching can be supplemented with health literacy strategies and effective communication techniques, such as ask-tell-ask, teach-back and/or action planning to ensure patient comprehension of their care plans and help them achieve their goals."

- American Medical Association

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We know the importance of lifestyle change… but so many people struggle to implement.

Change is hard... but months of consistency and support can make all the difference!

Together, we can ensure MORE moms have MORE support as they work to improve their habits & lifestyle, regain their energy, reduce physical and mental health symptoms, improve future outcomes, and feel more in charge of their well-being - while simultaneously setting their children and families up for success, too.

My 3-month coaching program helps moms build healthy, sustainable lifestyles through:

  • Increasing motivation, confidence, and hope

  • Playing a more active role in their health and developing a new way of living

  • Helping them carry out recommended treatments from you and other HCPs

  • Connecting the dots between how they feel, how they want to feel, and what they can do

  • Building an action plan around desired goals

  • Establishing habits (eating, exercising, sleep, stress, etc.) that they can be consistent with

  • Shifting from yo-yo dieting to focusing on nutrient-dense foods and sufficient protein

  • Assessing understanding and progress

  • Physicians rarely have the time to:

    -Do collaborative patient education

    -Close the loop to assess patients’ understanding

    -Engage patients in behavior-change action plans.

    These items can be accomplished by a health coach, which can increase available physician time and satisfaction. In a survey of physicians working with health coaches, physicians rated patient visits with health coaches as less demanding than visits without health coaches.

  • "Research shows that health coaching has a significant positive impact on patient health. Having a health coach as part of the team may help the practice meet quality metrics, improve patient satisfaction and behavior change and free up physician time." - American Medical Association

  • “The goal is patient engagement and motivation. Health coaching helps patients build skills they need to take charge of their own health and provides a support system for the teachings to have a lasting impact.” - American Medical Association

  • “Health coaching is a collaborative approach to care that informs, engages, and activates patients to take a prominent role in managing their health. By providing a gap between the physician and patient, health coaches can help practices improve patient engagement in their care, leading to healthier patients with better outcomes.” - American Medical Association

  • “You may identify some patients during their appointments—patients who have had difficulty achieving their health goals or who face barriers to understanding or adhering to treatment recommendations. You may also want to search your electronic health record (EHR) to identify patients before their scheduled appointments. Look for patients with the health characteristics that your practice is targeting.

    Conditions for coaching will vary by specialty. Common conditions in primary care that can be impacted by health coaching include:

    Hypertension, Diabetes, Obesity, Kidney disease, Asthma, Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), Chronic heart failure, Behavioral health conditions, Pain management, Multiple, complex chronic health conditions, etc.

    Your team members may also know of patients who are routinely unable to meet a physician's recommendations. Consult with your nurses or medical assistants during pre-clinic huddles to help identify patients on the day's schedule for targeted coaching. In addition, you could consider including questions about health behaviors and health literacy on a pre-registration form to predict which new patients may benefit from early intervention by a health coach.” - American Medical Association

  • "Effective health coaches can have varied backgrounds. Anyone on your care team, including nurses, MAs or even a care coordinator without clinical training, can be an effective coach." - American Medical Association

FAQs

addressed by the American Medical Association

What my clients are saying

  • “I know there are a lot of moms feeling bad about themselves, and just not getting the support they need to feel better - I would definitely recommend this program. Thank you for what you are doing… the materials, the sessions, and the overall program is very well designed, and your coaching really drove me to get the clarity I needed to stay focused on my main goal.”

    former client

  • “Working with Melissa was much more than I thought it would be. I came into coaching with a specific problem to address and although we did come up with an action plan, I am taking away tools to be able to tackle any situation, and gained confidence and grace to handle beliefs that got in the way. If you’re looking for any type of change but don’t know where to start, health coaching is perfect. Health entails so many aspects of life, and you’ll quickly realize which area is most meaningful for you to work on right now."

    former client

  • “I recently worked with Melissa in hopes of figuring out a path to a healthier lifestyle. I knew that I was looking for “healthier” but felt lost and unsure in which direction I needed to go. I’m a working mom who was struggling to find the energy to get out of auto-pilot. While going through coaching it made me realize that I didn’t need the perfect diet or perfect guide - I needed a mindset shift. Together, we uncovered some underlying fears and unrealistic expectations that played a role in my overwhelm. Once we identified them, that gave me an instant sense of relief, validation, and new direction.”

    former client

  • “Completely exceeded my expectations with the amount of 1:1 time you’re putting into me! The resources go above and beyond. The call notes after are so valuable. I really appreciate all of her thoughtful responses to my messages.”

    former client

  • “Melissa’s feedback has been very important as I feel more encouraged and energized by seeing my progress! All of the effort she put [into the program] is very notable, as well as her engagement and commitment to supporting me.”

    former client

  • “This experience has been REALLY helpful for me... I feel way more confident. It helps a lot to see the big picture... and have a better understanding of all elements that are under ‘health’ that I didn't notice before. Thanks to Melissa, I was able to organize my ideas...and understand better what's going on with my health and what help I might need.”

    former client

  • “Melissa asked all the right questions for deep meaningful conversation, and after the first session I immediately felt more aware of my actions - in regards to what I was eating, but also how I put unnecessary pressure by setting expectations of ‘perfection’ or ‘all or nothing,’ and this constant fear at failure that was holding me back.”

    former client

  • “Sometimes I feel like this is all my fault, I’ve done this to myself so I deserve to feel unhealthy, be overweight, and lack confidence in my body. I left the (first) call so optimistic and excited to begin on my heath journey. Gained clarity, felt validated, and next steps were concrete. It helped me to reflect on what’s in my control NOW… and the idea I should stop blaming myself.”

    former client

  • “I learned a lot about myself that I didn't know, or know I was feeling. Putting down on paper what my issues are in every day life has helped me to see the bigger picture. It’s making me prioritize my health and time management. I’ve realized how important it is for me to be taking care of me first, for the sake of my family. I can't believe after having just two calls with Melissa, how empowered I am feeling!”

    former client

  • “It helps a lot to see the big picture and have a better understanding of all elements that are under ‘health’ that I didn’t notice. I have so much more clarity, and knowledge too! I've discovered that I was ignoring my body’s signals, plus I learned to slow down and do things for me before I attempt to be there for others. Thanks to Melissa, I was able to organize my ideas... and understand better what’s going on, and the help I might need.”

    former client

I was trained under the mindbodygreen health coaching program, which is an approved program under the National Board of Health & Wellness Coaches (NBHWC). I operate under the NBHWC’s scope of practice and code of ethics. The training was delivered by a faculty of doctors, wellness experts, and board-certified health coaches across diverse disciplines and perspectives, with material including foundational and evidence-based coaching concepts, 360-degree approach to wellness, and functional nutrition.

The National Board for Health & Wellness Coaching (NBHWC) has collaborated with the National Board of Medical Examiners (NBME) since 2016 to provide a robust board certification examination which has led to more than 8,400 National Board Certified Health & Wellness Coaches that hold the NBC-HWC credential. The esteemed NBC-HWC credential represents training, education, and assessment standards, allowing for the profession to advance in all aspects of health care and wellness. More about the NBHWC